November 2006 Archives - wibbler.com

I’d like to raise a severe allegation against KFC. I would like to suggest that they are putting some sort of addictive ingredient into their mashed-up batter-covered chicken burgers and Buffalo Toasted Twisters. Why else would there be, last Friday, a 30-person queue of overweight, spotty people winding out of their restaurant in Guildford on a rain-filled night last Friday?

I’ve just completed our once-monthly online food shop, and it it reminded me of someone the other day complaining that they couldn’t afford the delivery charges. But there really is no reason not to do it. We live on the second floor of a place with no lift, and every time we shop online at Tesco we get the added bonus of seeing the exasperated face of a bloke lugging four of five crates of food up two flights of stairs. It’s fun, I assure you.
So, in a moment of full-on philanthropy, here are the arguments against online shopping – and the answers to knock ’em down.

1. They can’t usually deliver when I want.
Far be it for me to promote someone who’s already the top of the grocery pack, but Tesco are the way forward. They have two hour slots for delivery (if that’s not enough, Ocado from Waitrose do one hour slots) and can usually deliver within a day.

3. It’s not secure.
It’s as secure as going into any shop. In fact, it’s more secure than that, as all the transactions are done by computers rather than people. So if you buy anything anywhere with a credit card, there’s no reason not to shop online for food.

4. You can’t potter around picking up other things you might like.
No you can’t – and this is surely a good thing, no? You don’t spend money on things you didn’t need in the first place, you don’t add more inches to your waistline, and you don’t add more pennies to Tesco’s bulging moneybags.

I saw The Prestige with Michelle last night. It’s a movie with a whole load of big names – Michael Caine, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie and several others – and it’s directed by Christopher Nolan, who did the stunningly clever Memento a few years ago. The Prestige is a great film too – all about two rival magicians and their obsession with each other’s tricks. The title comes from a description of the three stages of an illusion – first, the setup (“pledge”), where the magician shows the audience something that appears ordinary; second, the performance (“turn”), where the magician makes the ordinary act extraordinary. Lastly, there is the “Prestige”, where the effect of the illusion is produced.
I left the film marvelling at the twists and turns, but it appears there is even more to the film than meets the eye. The final line of the the film implies that “you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it. Because you want to be fooled.” the film may have a “Prestige” all of its own – as the posters on The Ultimate Twist (IMDB) are discussing. I won’t ruin it here – but suffice to say you should go and watch. The tagline – “Are you watching closely” – couldn’t be more apt. Oh, and if you haven’t seen it, the above links do give the game away a bit…

Over the last couple of months, work has been more than busy. For those who don’t know – and those that usually forget every time I tell them – I’m a Software and IT specialist for a pharmaceutical company that seems to be growing exponentially. My combination of roles is taking it’s toll though. As the company grows, I’m feeling a bit like the last bit of jam at the end of the jam jar – rather thinly spread. Two large IT projects have been launched, while all the time supporting the UK software base, conducting all the training and being a general IT monkey. Getting in at 8am and leaving at 7pm is not a load of fun – and hopefully after a bit of discussion last week things will pan out well in the new year.
And because of this – and the 4 websites I’ve built recently – nothing really happened on wibbler.com, as several readers are at pains to point out.
However, I this the site is due a revamp, don’t you?

Jac’s certainly not wasted time since his release from a long termer a couple of months ago. One woman in particular seems to have become a regular fixture at his new house in Putney, and this latest snippet of information was like a red rag to a bull. Nick and I were due at Jac’s on Saturday morning to visit the Stuff Show in Hammersmith. We hadn’t met Hannah, and decided it was about time we forced Jac’s hand. We turned up on his doorstep at 8.30am, eager as a couple of beavers. It was a freezing morning, and after a couple of rings of the doorbell, I gave him a call.
“Wha..?”
“Morning Jac. How are you feeling?”
“Mmmurgh.”
“I see. We’re outside your house.”
“WHAT?”
“Let us in please.”
“You utter *****.”
It still took him a few minutes to gather his senses and open the door, by which time we were slowly turning to icicles. Turns out he wasn’t too impressed with our early start, his hangover still in full force – and Nick and I instantly made the most of it, laudly stomping round the house and requesting breakfast. We took ourselves for a short tour of his new pad, and as we entered the front room he hurriedly removed items of clothing and underwear from the chairs and floor. “Had a good night?” I asked, catching a glimpse of Hannah round the door. “Hmmmm,” he replied. Nick and I gave ourselves a look of mirth.
A couple of sausage sandwiches later, we’d met Hannah, teased Jac (“she seems nice,” was met with a Jac-based scowl) and hurried him along. After discovering I’d got a parking ticket for NO REASON AT ALL (complaint pending on that one, let me assure you) we arrived at the Stuff Show and took in the gadgetry. It was actually a little disappointing – far less stands than the year before, and the stands that were there were mostly selling MP3 players. We left a few hours later for lunch, discovering that Putney is actually very nice, and that Gourmet Burger Kitchen is an amazing place to go for cracking burgers.
So, a bit of a revelation – I’ve found a bit of London I actually like! Check me out…

Way back in 2001, I met a couple of small twins who darted around, danced the night away and “did the twin thing” in nightclubs up and down Guildford. Five years later, I’m about to buy a house with one of them, and the other is married. Last Saturday, Becki got hitched to Glyn in a ceremony in St Johns Church, Guildford. I was tasked with videoing it – which was surprising, as my efforts at filming their brother’s wedding a few years back didn’t take into consideration the closeness of my mouth and the microphone, leaving my “witty” and ill-considered commentary all over the soundtrack. I managed to keep quiet for this one though, and managed to use all my filming skills to capture the moment. The reception was held at Sutton Green Golf Club, and I remember very little after about 8pm – although I can remember the speeches were very good and my wallet was very well used…
So, congratulations Becki and Glyn! I’m sure there’ll be some pictures up soon…